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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — the time now
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. present — a gift
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — for dancing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com